Brush cleaner



Jan. 2, 1962 w. D. ULRICH 3,015,121

BRUSH CLEANER Filed March 14, 1960 ilited States Patent ilce 3,0l5,l21 Patented Jan. A2, 19162 3,015,121 BRUSH CLEANER William i?. Ulrich, North Redondo Beach, Calif., assigner to Development Company, Torrance, Calif., a partnership Filed Mar. le, 196%, Ser. No. 14,928 2 Claims. (Cl. IIS-311) The present invention relates to a vacuum type of cleaner for brooms, brushes, mops and the like; and it is more particularly concerned with such a vacuum type cleaner for use in providing janitorial service for industrial establishments.

It is usual in most industrial and commercial establishments for the floors to be swept after closing. The usual procedure is to sprinkle a compound on the floor to prevent the excessive formation of dust, and then to sweep the compound and sweepings adhering to it into piles for disposal. Prior to the present invention, however, no satisfactory unit has been provided for cleaning the brushes themselves, and it has been the usual procedure to shake the brushes, either inside or outside the establishment.

rllie present inventionprovides an improved vacuum type cleaner for such .brooms or brushes. The improved cleaner of the .embodiment of the invention to be described includesa rotating member having a plurality of radial resilient lingers. These fingers serve to loosen and disengage the bits of lint and other materials that may be adhering to the brush.V The action or" 'these re silient fingers, although thorough and complete, is gentle and does not tend to pull the yarn or other material forming the brush itself. The action is such that the brush is not damaged or harmed in any way, and yet it is fully and satisfactorily cleaned by the unit.

The embodiment of the invention to be described is also most advantageous in that the brush to be cleaned can be so cleaned in a simple and straightforward manner. It is merely required that the brush be moved by its handle across the surface or a pilot table in the cleaning unit and across an opening in that surface. This movement is effected by moving it by its handle which extends up throuch a longitudinal slot in the top of the unit. As the brush is so moved across the surface of the pilot table and across the opening therein, it is engaged by the rotating resilient fingers for the purposes explained above. In addition, a strong suction force serves to remove completely all `the sweepings and other foreign material adhering to the brush, this being achieved without harm to the brush in any way.

The cleaning unit of the embodiment to be described is mounted on wheels so that it can easily be transported around the establishment. To clean a brush at any time, it is merely necessary for the person using the brush to pass it through the unit of the invention once or twice. rthis provides for a convenient means for enabling the brush to be kept clean, and this completely eliminates any need for shaking the brush either inside or outside the establishment.

The unit of the invention, as will become obvious as the present description proceeds, can incorporate its own vacuum-producing unit, or it may be coupled to a separate vacuum source such as an industrial or domestic vacuum cleaner, or to the vacuum conduits found in some establishments.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be realized from a consideration of the following description, and considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FiGUiE l is an end perspective view of a brush cleaning unit constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, this view showing the manner in which a brush may be guided through the unit for cleaning puroses;

p FIGURE 2 is a side view of the unit of FIGURE l on a somewhat reduced scale and with the cover removed to reveal the internal operating components of the unit;

FIGURE 3 is a top View of the unit of FIGURE 2, particularly illustrating the top surface of the pilot table referred to above, and the manner in which the rotatable cleaning element is disposed in an opening in that surface; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view, substantially on the line Enti of FIGURE 3, showing on an enlarged scale, the composition of the rotatable cleaning element and of the radial resilient lingers attached to that element.

The cleaning unit illustrated in the accompanying drawing includes a framework l0 which may be appropriately formed of channel iron. This framework forms a pilot table l2. This pilot table has a top guide surface, as best shown in FIGURE 3, along which the brush to be cleaned is moved. A plurality of wheels 14 are supported on the lower corners of the framework 19, and these wheels are swivelly mounted on the framework to permit the convenient transport of the unit. Suitable locking means 16 for the wheels may be provided.

A housing i8 is supported by the frame l0 below the top surface of the pilot table 12. This surface has an opening at an intermediate position which extends down into the chamber'formed by the housing l. A funnel 2@ having, preferably, a square configuration, is positioned at one side or" the chamber i8, and a conduit 22 is coupled to the funnel 2d. A suitable suction hose 24 may be used to couple the conduit 22. to an appropriate source of vacuum pressure 26. This source, as mentioned above, may be an industrial or domestic vacuum cleaner, or it may be the suction conduits of the establishment itself. When so desired, the vacuum pressure unit 26 may be mounted directly on the cleaner. The unit 26 includes a usual vacuum pump which may be electrically energized by means of an appropriate electric cord 23.

A rotatable unit 36 is mounted in the chamber formed by the housing IS and extends across the framework l0. The rotatable member is mounted in a pair of self-centering bearings 32 and 34, the bearings being supported on the framework lll).

The rotatable element, as best shown in FIGURE 4, includes a rigid shaft 36 which is composed, for example, of steel and which extends into the bearings 32 and 34. A hub 33 composed of a rubber-like material, such as neoprene, is bonded to the shaft 36. A plurality of resilient radial fingers lll extend outwardly from the hub 38. Each of these lingers may be composed of a spiral strip steel spring 42 which is threaded into the hub 38, and of a plastic sleeve 44 which is fitted over the spring. The sleeve i4 is held in place on the spring 42 by a suitable self-sealing cap 46. The cap 46 is also composed of a rubber-like material, such as neoprene.

The shaft 36, as best shown in FIGURE 2, has a pulley 4S mounted on it. A suitable belt Sli couples the pulley to a motor 52. The motor, likewise, is mounted on the framework lil.

When the motor 52 is energized, it causes the rotatable element 30 to rotate. The resilient fingers dll extend through the opening in the top surface of the pilot table l2, so as to perform their cleaning function.

A cover dil formed, for example, of sheet metal, is constructed to lit over the framework Iii, and to provide a housing which extends up over the top surface of the pilot table I2, as best shown in FIGURE 1.V This housing has a top hinged portion 62 which denes a longitudinal slot 64 (FIGURE 2) extending from one endl of the cover to the other.

A bracket d6 is mounted on one end of the framework 10, and this bracket may receive a suitable handle for moving the unit about the establishment.

Asillustrated in FIGURE 1, for example, a brush 70 having an elongated handle 72 attached thereto, may be moved throughv theunit, with the brush being. so moved across the top surface of the pilot table 12 and across the opening therein. T hebrush may be so moved by its handle 72, the handle being received by the longitudinal slot 64.

As the brush is moved across the opening in the top surface of the pilot table 12, the resilient radial fingers 40 engage the brush and remove the particles adhering to it. At the same time, the vacuum pressure created in the chamber formed by the housing 18`causes these particles to be removed and disposed of.

The` invention provides, therefore, an improved vacuum type cleaner unit for brushes and the like. The improved unit. of` thepresent` invention is rigid and rugged in its-construction. Moreover, the unit is relatively economical to construct, and may be sold at a relatively low cost. The unit performs with a high degree of efciency, completely and adequately to clean the brush passed through it in the manner described.

I claim:

1. Apparatusfor cleaning a brush having an elongated handley attached thereto and extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom, and the like, including: a frame member, a pilot table supported on said frame'rnember and providing a surface over which such a brush may be moved and having an opening therein across which the brush passes, means supported on saidframe member for formingva chamber below the opening in said surface of said. pilotv tablewith said opening extending intor said chamber and said chamber having a funnel formedv at one end thereof, conduit means extending fromsaid funnel and adapted to be coupled to a source of vacuum pressure for introducing a vacuum pressure into said chamber so as to dispose of foreign particles carried by the brush as the brush is moved over said surface and across said opening, a rotatable cleaning element mounted in said chamber and having radial members extending through said opening in said surface of said pilot table for removing-the foreign particles from the brush moved over said surface and across said opening, means for rotatably driving said cleaning element, and a housing supported on said frame member and extending up over said surface of said pilot table, said housinghaving open ends for permitting the brush to be moved through the apparatus over said surface of said pilot table and having a longitudinal guide slot therein extending between said open ends for receiving the handle of the brush so vmove over said surface.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 and in which said cleaning element includes a hub having a plurality `of said radial members in the form of resilient iingers mounted therein and extending radially outwardly therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,424 Swanson lune 17, 1930 2,064,854 Riebel et al Dec. 22, 1936 2,188,717 Jones Ian. 30, 1940 2,306,911 Schaefer Dec. 29, 1942 2,372,404 Taylor Mar. 27, 1945 2,537,523 Frost Jan. 9, 1951 2,625,704r Cudy Jan. 20, 1953 2,642,600V jones June 23, 1953 2,764,776 Peguero Oct. 2, 1956 2,849,746 Hayter Sept. 2, 1958 

